The Best Christmas Present
by Im.losing.hope
Summary: What do you do when you have to raise a baby on your own, when the one you love the most is gone off to war? Magnus wakes up on Christmas morning, and gets a pleasant surprise. Rated T R&R One Shot!


_A/n: Okay, I was gonna save this until the 24th of December to mark one year of writing Malec fan fiction! But I simply couldn't wait until Christmas eve to write and post this, so I decided to use this now and then come up with another idea for Christmas! _

_So, I hope you enjoy!_

_Third Person POV:_

A normal Christmas Eve to most people would be spending the day with loved ones and family and friends, eating and just having a good time in general. To most people, they had the most perfect and magical Christmas Eve, and an even better Christmas Day. Christmas day to normal people would be waking up to their children squealing with joy and wonderment. Most people would enjoy watching them unwrap thier gifts and share a few laughs with thier significant other. That's what was normal to most people.

Christmas Eve to Magnus Bane-Lightwood and the rest of the Lightwood family was, waiting with baited breath to see if Alec and Jace Lightwood were going to be home and alive for the holidays. Alec and Jace were two brothers from the Lightwood family who had signed up for the army and were currently serving in Iraq. For the last few years, they didn't really know if they would be returning home. They had always heard of dead troops, and always waited anxiously to see if Jace or Alec had made it through another day. Whenever they didn't hear their names, they would always let out a breath.

But what killed Magnus Bane-Lightwood the most, was the fact that Alec had been gone for most of their adopted daughters life. She had been born to a surrogate mother, and wasn't even a year old before he left. She was five now. And around this time of year, she would always ask him if he was coming home. She wanted to see her hero, her daddy.

It tore Magnus apart whenever she asked him that, in her cute little voice and her big green-blue eyes widening and tearing up. But he could never answer her question because he didn't even know if Alec was alive most of the time. Alec had sent letters for the first few months he had been over there but as soon as they started, they stopped. Magnus just assumed that he never had time to write. And he was okay with that. But sometimes, he just wished that he would get a letter, even if it was just a really brief one. Just one letter, that held held three special little words. _I Love You._

If only.

_~In Iraq~_

Alec sat in his bunk in the camp he was staying in with his brother, Jace. He stared down at the picture that he held in his hand. It was a picture of him, Magnus, Maggie (their baby's surrogate mother) and their baby, Luna. Luna was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. And when she was born, he couldn't help but let the happy tears flow freely down his face. When she was born, he and Magnus had let Maggie hold Luna first, since she was the one who had to go through nine months of hell.

Every night he did this. He just took whatever free time he had, which was very little, and just stared at this little picture. But every time he did so, his heart longed for his husband and their little girl.

He remembered the night when he told his comrades about them. They had all been discussing their wives and children and one of the soldiers who Alec knew pretty well, asked him if he had anyone left waiting for him at home.

_It was a starry night and a few of the mean were sitting around in their bunks. Just talking and trying to think positively even when there was a war raging on. _

_"Yeah, my Clary. She's something different" He heard Ace sigh wistfully. _

_He couldn't blame him. It was one of those night's when Alec really wanted to be home, in bed with Magnus' arms tightly wrapped around him. _

_"Alec, do you have anyone at home waiting for you?" Ren asked. _

_"Huh? Oh yeah" Alec blushed softly, when he thought of Magnus. _

_"Well, whats her name boy?" One of the older commanders asked._

_"Um, _he's_ a _he_, not a girl..." Alec trailed off, gauging the reactions of his comrades. _

_"Well, whats his name then?" Ren asked. _

_"His name is Magnus. We have a surrogate baby named Luna. They are both amazing and beautiful" Alec said quietly._

_"Hey Alec, you should show them the picture of you, Magnus, Maggie and Luna" Jace said suddenly. _

_He took out the small picture and let it go around. When it came back to him, he was bombarded with praise for having such a beautiful family. His comrades commented that they wanted to meet Magnus and Luna if they ever got to go home. _

Alec was pulled out of his memory when he heard the cheers of his fellow soldiers. He looked up and saw them coming in through the door of their cabin. He quirked an eyebrow at them. Jace came up to him and give him a bone crushing hug.

"What is going on?" He managed to choke out.

"We get to go home! If we leave now, we'll be able to get back to New York Before Christmas is over!" Jace said excitedly.

"Really?" Alec said, not believing a word Jace was saying.

"Yeah!" He replied.

Alec got up from his bed and gave Jace a crushing hug and went to pack his bag. In a few hours, he'll be back in the arms of the one he loved the most. And also, get to see the beautiful eyes of his daughter.

For once, since he signed up for the war, he had a genuine, happy smile on his face.

_~In New York~_

Magnus was trying to get Luna to bed, but she simply wouldn't co-operate. She kept telling him that she refused to go to bed unless Alec tucked her in. But Magnus knew he wouldn't be home tonight. And maybe not even tomorrow. Magnus had given up all hope.

"I want daddy to tuck me in" Luna whimpered.

"I know baby, but he isn't here right now" Magnus said softly.

"When is he coming home? I miss him" She cried.

Magnus felt his heart break for his five year old daughter. He really wished that Alec was here right now. He could only hope that one day the war was going to end, and that Alec would be safe and sound in his arms and his daughter wouldn't have to cry anymore.

"Sweetie, do you want to hear a story?" He asked suddenly.

"A story?" She asked between a yawn.

"Yeah" He smiled.

"O-okay" She hiccuped.

"Alright. It started a year and a half before you were born..." He started.

_He and Alec had been going to the same University, when they met each other. It was a normal enough day. Alec had been in the library, trying to find a book to read and Magnus was working there. He couldn't help but notice the blue eyed boy when he entered and he couldn't stop staring. _

_And when Alec had caught him staring, he blushed bright red and Magnus couldn't help but feel his heart stutter. Could it have been love at first sight? Magnus didn't believe in that whole fable. But it sure felt like it. _

_"H-hey" Alec stuttered to him. _

_"Hey there" Magnus replied with a smile. _

_"Um.. I couldn't help but notice you.. staring at me" He said quietly. _

_"Oh? Well, I'm sorry for bothering you. Ill just go back to work" Magnus said weakly. _

_But what happened next, would be forever burned into his memory. _

_Alec had grabbed his hand when he turned to walk back to his desk, and pulled him around. Determination bright and clear in his blue eyes. _

_"Don't be sorry. Would it be considered rude, if I asked you out?" Alec blurted out. His face turning a startling shade of red. _

_"No, not at all. And I would gladly accept your invitation" Magnus said with a smile. _

_"Great. So tonight at seven? Ill meet you here, and then we can figure out what to do" Alec said. _

_"Sounds good" Magnus agreed. _

_Alec nodded, and leaned up a bit and kissed Magnus's slightly tanned cheek. _

"..And since then we have never been more in Love and happy as we are now. Even if he is across the sea" Magnus ended the story.

"That was so pretty daddy" Luna said with awe in her voice.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that baby. Now will you go to sleep?" Magnus asked hopefully.

Luna scowled. The expression distorted her childish features. But she nodded anyway and climbed in underneath her blankets. Her pajama shirt with a gingerbread man on it, riding up a little bit.

Magnus made sure she was snuggled into her blankets and comfortable and gave her a kiss and a lingering hug. He breathed in her scent. She still smelled like a baby and it was comforting.

"Even though he isn't here to tell you, but daddy loves you with all his heart. And so do I. We both love you so much. Goodnight, and may you have pleasant dreams" Magnus whispered to his already slumbering child.

He got up from Luna's bed and walked out the door and closed it gently. He leaned up against it and sighed. A few tears trailing down his face. He sniffled, and made his way to his and Alec's room. Well, basically his room right now.

When he entered his room, he went to his and Alec's dresser and pulled something out to wear to bed. He pulled out one of Alec's too big shirts and took off his own skin tight green shirt and flung it to the floor. He pulled Alec's shirt on and peeled off his pants and was left in his plain black boxers. He made his way over to their too big bed and climbed in under the covers.

He really wished that Alec was here. It got hard, raising Luna by himself. He knew that Alec didn't mean any harm when he signed up for the army when Luna was barely a year old. But the last time that she had seen him in the flesh was when she was two and he was only home for three days and then had to go again.

It saddened him, how Alec never got to see their beautiful daughter grow up. He buried his head into Alec's pillow, which had lost its scent a while ago. And that scared Magnus. What if Alec was gone so long that he started to lose the memory of the young and carefree boy that Alec is?

With one last shuddering breath, Magnus fell asleep.

x.o.x

"Daddy, Daddy wake up! Its Christmas..."

That is what Magnus woke up to at 7:00 the next morning. He groaned and pulled a pillow over his face and tried to block everything out. It just didn't seem like Christmas without Alec. It wasn't really fair.

"Daddy please?" Luna said in a pleading voice.

Magnus sighed. She knew that Magnus couldn't resist that sweet little voice she does when she wants to get her own way. So with another groan, he got up and saw saw that his daughter was lying on Alec's side of the bed.

"Alright, Luna. Lets go open your presents" He said in what he hoped was an excited voice.

"Yay!" She squealed and bounded out of the room.

He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and headed out to the living room, to see Luna already tearing into her gifts. There were piles of things under the elaborately decorated tree. He knew he and Alec spoiled their child, but when Christmas came around, she just got a lot more.

"Daddy? Do you think daddy misses us?" Luna asked out of the blue.

Magnus smiled sadly. "I think he does. Every moment he's away from us."

"Me too" Luna nodded.

For the next hour, Magnus sat in the living room with Luna, taking pictures of her opening presents and making sure she didn't get too out of hand. When she was done opening all of her presents, she took something out from underneath the couch and handed it to Magnus.

"I made this for you daddy. I had auntie Clary and Isabelle help me with it" She said sweetly.

"Oh, thank you baby" Magnus said.

He tore open the paper and took whatever was in it. When he saw what it was, he nearly busted into tears. It was a collage of different pictures, that featured him, Alec and Luna herself. There were a few pictures of him and Alec when they had gotten married in Alaska, since same sex marriage wasn't legal in New York at the time, there were a few pictures of the three of them together and a few of Luna by herself. To Magnus, that had to be the best present he had ever gotten.

"Oh, Luna! Its beautiful" He said and lifted Luna onto his lap and gave her a gentle squeeze.

Just when he was putting Luna back down onto the floor, a ring buzzed throughout the house. Magnus quirked and eyebrow and got up from the couch.

"You stay here, okay baby?" Magnus told his daughter.

"Okay!" She said while dressing a barbie doll.

Magnus nodded, and went to answer the door, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he felt like he was going to be sick. What if this was Alec's comrades, coming to tell him that he hadn't survived? If that was the case, Magnus didn't think he would be able to handle that.

So with a deep breath, he opened the door. His heart stopped when he saw who was at the door. A few men, dressed in Military uniforms stood in front of him.

"Hello?" He said this like a question.

"Are you Magnus?" One of the younger men asked.

He nodded.

"Well, we brought you a little Christmas gift" Another said as they moved to make a little path.

And at the end of the path, was Alec. Still dressed in his uniform.

Magnus didn't know what to do. So he just did what he felt was right. And that was run up to his husband and jump into his arms. Alec caught him, and gripped him so tight, that it felt like Magnus' ribs were going to crack at any moment.

"I missed you so much" Magnus cried into Alec's neck.

"I missed you too, and Luna. Everyday I thought about you guys" Alec whispered.

Magnus didn't know what to say, so he just let the sobs come up and erupt. At one point, he was afraid that he was getting Alec's jacket ruined with his tears. But then he thought how Alec was home again, and didn't really care.

Alec put Magnus back down on the ground and kissed away his tears. When he was done with that, he kissed his husbands salty lips. And Alec soon found himself crying. Magnus pulled away and took Alec's hand in his own, and led him back to the house.

"Well, have a good morning you two" One of the men said.

Alec nodded, and gave each one of them a hug before they left and he went into the house with Magnus. Magnus stopped him in the porch.

"I'll go get Luna, I want to surprise her" Magnus said quietly.

Alec nodded. But he was anxious to see his little girl. He heard her whine about not wanting to leave her toys. But her whines stopped abruptly. Alec looked down the hall, and saw his little girl.

It was then, when he let the tears overflow and run down his face. Luna ran down the hall and jumped into Alec's out stretched arms.

"Daddy?" She asked.

"Its me, sweetie" He whispered.

"Your home" She cried.

"I'm home" He cried along with her.

And at that moment, being with his family and having all the love in the world was the best Christmas present to Alec Lightwood.

_A/n: Okay, so how was that? Did you guys like it? I hope you guys did! I looked up soldiers home comings on you tube and it made me cry.. gosh.. _

_So, anyway,_

_Review?_

_Chantelle xox_


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